Karma
by sadlady
Summary: Questions of fatherhood


Usual Disclaimer

I don't own the characters of Bodie and Doyle, or any others from the TV series. They belong to Mark One Productions and Brian Clemens.

I borrow them to write fiction for my own (and hopefully your) pleasure, with no financial gain to myself or anyone else.

KARMA

**According to the theory of Karma, what happens to a person, happens because they caused it with their actions**.

Doyle watched from the breakfast table as Bodie put the telephone back on the base and sighed.

It was, Doyle noted, a sigh of relief. Whatever had been worrying Bodie for the past few days was now over. He eyed his partner, taking in the dark shadows under his eyes, and the paler than usual cheeks. He knew Bodie hadn't been sleeping well.

They had accompanied Cowley to a conference and were to meet with a delegation of diplomats to discuss security arrangements. It was, in Doyle's words "a jolly." However, instead of a relaxing drink in the bar (on expenses) eyeing up attractive women way out of their wage bracket, Bodie had spent most of the night in their room, sitting by the window staring morosely into the distance. Eventually Doyle had given up trying to get his friend to confide in him, and had pulled the blanket over his head and gone to sleep.

On waking, he noted the other bed in the room hadn't been slept in, and Bodie was nowhere to be seen. He'd found his partner sitting alone in the restaurant, pushing his uneaten breakfast around the plate.

"Wanna tell me what's goin' on?" asked Doyle as he helped himself to tea and toast.

Bodie looked up wearily:

"Maybe later mate," he'd replied, and closed his eyes.

The phone call had had the desired effect. Doyle continued watching his partner as he walked back towards the table. He thought he detected a slightly jauntier step than of late.

Before he could say anything, Cowley limped into the restaurant, his face a rictus of pain. He sat down heavily and eyed the two young men sourly.

"Damn diplomats. Couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery! The day's gone to waste! I've got to wait for them! You two can stand down, but don't disappear." He signalled to the waitress and ordered his meal before disappearing behind a newspaper.

Both agents looked shocked. Cowley swearing was almost unheard of. Doyle whispered across the table to his partner.

"Must be bad – 'e's not given to swearing. Bet the congregation don't know his darker side."

Almost immediately Cowley's face appeared briefly from behind the paper. He stared hard at the young man.

"No Doyle. I don't condone bad language, but I'm a busy man. Such hold ups are purely due to staff infighting at the embassy. I have more important things to do than wait around while minor officials squabble amongst themselves as to who is going to chair this meeting!

He went back to reading The Times. A final salvo was delivered from behind the business pages.

"And no, I wouldn't foist my 'darker side' on the good people of St James's. That is reserved for you!"

Doyle grinned at his partner.

"Good news?" he asked nodding towards the phone.

Bodie put a finger to his lips, smiled, and shook his head.

Breakfast passed without any further interruptions. Bodie made short work of a full English breakfast, with extra toast and tea; he wolfed down the food as if he'd not eaten for days. Doyle was pleased to see his friend back to his old self.

Cowley slapped his paper down on the table and pushed his chair back. He eyed both the men wordlessly.

"I don't know what's going on with you two," he muttered, "I sense I'm not supposed to know either! Just be ready to leave as soon as I'm done here." He stomped off without a backward glance.

Doyle reached across the table and poured himself more tea.

"Now can you tell me what's been goin'on with you?"

Bodie looked at his partner with a rueful expression.

"Yeah. I'm sorry Doyle. I know I've been a bit distracted the past couple of days . . ."

Doyle interrupted him

"Can't afford to be distracted in our job, mate. Just a well this has been a low key op," he added.

Bodie sighed.

"You know Alison? I've been seeing her on and off for a while. You know . . . spends a night at my place now and again. Nice girl . . .works for Guy's Hospital."

Doyle nodded in assent.

"Well, she thought she might be pregnant . . . at first I was really shaken, thought she was trying to trap me into a longer relationship, or worse," he added darkly. "Then I got to thinking about having kids . . . being a dad. . . I'd have done the right thing by her, not that I wanted to leave the squad," he added hastily.

Doyle sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers together.

"And?" he asked.

Bodie had the grace to look uncomfortable.

"I'm not ready for it," he said simply. "If and when that time comes, I want to be involved in my kid's life. Not like my old man," he added without rancour. "Anyway, she just phoned and let me know it was a false alarm . . . and she's been thinking. With my work and what she called my track record with women, she said it's best we don't see each other again."

Doyle sighed.

"You reputation precedes you." he commented.

Bodie managed to look both hurt and innocent at this same time.

"C'mon Doyle. I never promised her anything. We were just good mates," he said. "It was an accident."

Doyle rolled his eyes and smothered a laugh. His shoulders shook with the effort, and he put his tea down.

"Oh please . . . ," he said. "That's a terrible excuse. What are you? This unsophisticated young man, abroad in the big bad city? You let yourself be taken advantage of? Was it your first time?" he added wickedly.

The finely arched eyebrow conveyed Bodie's thoughts perfectly.

As they sat around waiting for Cowley, Doyle thought more about Bodie's situation.

Both of them played as hard as they worked, and the occasional one night stand was just something they did. Neither of them really ever thought about the consequences of such casual relationships. Indeed, Doyle harboured a more romantic view that if he was presented with the opportunity to become a father, he would embrace his responsibility with a sense of maturity.

Cowley waved at them from the Reception desk. They got up from the table and walked towards the reception.

"Well, at least this turned out for the best. Can't afford to be distracted by the pitter patter of tiny feet in our line of work," said Bodie wistfully. "I'll take more care next time. It takes two after all."

"You ok mate? It was Karma," said Doyle, still entertaining thoughts of possible fatherhood.

"Yeah, calmer," agreed Bodie, not listening and completely missing the point!


End file.
